South Fork wind farm filing sets up fight in Wainscott

(Photo courtesy of South Fork Wind)
(Photo courtesy of South Fork Wind)

The companies behind a proposed 15-turbine wind farm off Montauk Point moved forward with the massive project last week, filing a joint proposal with a New York state commission tasked with determining whether the project is in the public interest, according to the East Hampton Star.

The proposal lists conditions agreed to by Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind, Eversource Energy, and their partners. Among those conditions is the developers’ preference to lay a transmission cable from Wainscott Beach to the Long Island Power Authority substation in East Hampton.

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Some Wainscott residents have fiercely opposed that plan. Fishermen have largely opposed the project as well. The filing sets the stage for public input through the New York State Public Service Commission.

Opponents might have their work cut out for them. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been a strong supporter of offshore wind energy, and the state has set a goal of 9,000 megawatts of production capacity by 2035. The CenterSquare.com reported that under Cuomo, New York “is making one of the biggest moves into wind power that the United States has ever seen.” [East Hampton Star] — Dennis Lynch